Magnetically operated switch



Patented Feb. 13, 1951 2,541,778 MAGNETICALLY OPERATED SWITCH Anton Rappl, Eggertsville, N. Y., assignor to 'Irico Products Corporation, Buflalo, N. Y.

Application October 30, 1946, Serial No. 706,649

1 Claim.

The invention relates in general to an electromagnetic switch and it has for its primary aim to provide one of simple but efilcient construction.

Another object has been to provide a simple switch of practical design serviceable as an electro-magnetically operated master relay switch, and further to produce a switch which is economical in construction and manufacture.

Again, the improved switch readily lends itself to plural circuit arrangements and finds a practical application in a window system for motor vehicles in that it enables the motorist to close the several windows concurrently. Therefore, the invention is further found to reside in a novel window system having improved operation.

The above objects and advantages have been accomplished by the device shown in the accompanying drawings, of which:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view showing a window operating system employing the invention;

Fig. 2 is an elevation of the master switch showing the terminal side thereof Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view thereof, taken on line IIIIII of Fig. 4;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of the device taken on line IV-IV of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view of the invention taken on'line V-V of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 6 is a similar view thereof taken on line VI--VI of Fig. 3.

Referring now particularly to Fig. 1, wherein an application of the present invention is shown by way of example, the numeral It represents the adjustable windows of a vehicle each window being raised and lowered by a separate vacuum motor I through the medium of a flexible power transmitting member |2 that is supported on suitable pulleys |3. A selective motor control valve I5 is provided for each of the motors. This control valve may be similar to that shown and described in the co-pending application of Erwin C. Horton, Serial No. 583,147, now Patent No. 2,528,145, Oct. 31, 1950, and is electro-magnetically operated from the battery 2|! through the medium of a double electric switch I6.

The instant invention serves admirably as a master switch for controlling a plurality of circuits, such as the several window elevating circuits of the window system just referred to. As illustrated, the master switch is enclosed within a housing and comprises a base or terminal plate 26 of insulating material for mounting the electro-magnet 30 which has a cupped casing 3| seating upon a contact plate 32, all secured in place on the base 26 by suitable fastening means 26. Disposed in spaced relation with the casing and core 34 of the electro-magnet is the armature 35 thereof which is slidably mounted for limited movement upon a screw 36 carried by the core. A coupling sleeve 40 serves to secure the armature to a star-shaped or multi-armed movable switch element 4| for attractive movement therewith as a unit when the magnet is energized.

The switch element 4| is preferably made of resilient material and provided with a plurality of radially extending anchoring arms 43 and a plurality of spaced contact arms 44. The anchoring arms are bent downwardly, as shown in Figs. 4-6, and are supported by two supporting posts 46 and 50 and a contact supporting post 5|. These posts are carried by the terminal plate 26 and each of them is provided with a reduced upper end portion 52 for engagement with a slot formed in each of the anchoring arms. The supporting posts 46 and are insulated from the switch element preferably by having their upper end 53 of insulating material. The coil 54 of the electro-magnet is connected at one side to the supporting post 46 to which a wire 56 is connected. The other end (not shown) of the winding is grounded to the electro-magnet casing 3|. The contact plate 32 which is arranged beneath the casing 3| is also in electrical contact with the post 5| thereby serving to carry current to said post. A wire 60 is connected to the post 5| and therethrough to the switch element 4| This wire is also connected to one side of the coil 54 while the other side of the coil is connected to an easily accessible push button 6| by means of the wire 56.

Arranged beneath each of the switch contact arms 44 is a terminal post 62 for circuit closing engagement therewith when the armature unit is attracted toward the core of the electro-magnet.

In normal position, as shown in Fig. 4, there is space between the top rounded end of each of these terminal posts and its associated contact arm. One of these posts is connected to each of the window raising circuits of the several window operating units. as clearly shown in Fig. 1. In the drawings but two window operating units are shown and therefore only two terminals 63 are shown as being used. Other leads 64 are, however, diagrammatically illustrated for being extended to any number of other window operating units on the vehicle within the capacity of the switch for unison control thereby.

From the foregoing it will be obvious that when the button 6| is depressed current will be caused to flow through the coil 54 of the electro-magnet thereby causing the armature 35 to be drawn toward the core 34 to bring the contact arms down upon the terminal posts 62 in opposition to the resiliency of the supportin arms 43 for simultaneously closing the several window circuits.

The switch is of simple construction, the same comprising primarily an electro-magnet arranged centrally within an annular series 01' contact posts or members certain of which latter provide yieldable support for the multi-armed contact plate or element II which latter serves as the armature for the magnet. Normally the supporting arms of the movable contact member ll support the latter spaced above the contacts 82 and yield when the magnet is energized to permit the arms 44 moving into circuit closing engagement with said contacts. The inherent resiliency or the supporting arms 3 avoids the necessity of a separate. spring to restore the contact arms with the arms or fingers 44 to their elevated position.

While but one embodiment of the invention is shown and described, it is obvious that the inventive teaching herein may assume other physical embodiments without departing from the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

A switch comprising an electro-magnet having a central core. a circular series 01' posts arranged about the magnet and certain of said posts constituting circuit contacts, an armature having a switch plate with radiating arms overlying the contacts in normally spaced relation. and a pin slidably supporting the armature on the core for limited movement, said switch plate having other radiating arms resiliently supporting the armature from others of said posts with the first mentioned radiating arms in such normally spaced relationship, said other radiating arms being detachably interlocked to said other posts and said pin serving to maintain the interlock established.

ANTON RAPPL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the tile or this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number 

